METROPOLIS -- It may not have been the blowout that some people expected, but the Du Quoin football team still picked up a solid 21-6 victory over a much-improved Massac County squad Friday night.

Three plays after a 44-yard run from Lane Bauman in the first quarter, Ethan Zettler ran for a 12-yard score to put the Indians up 7-0. The Patriots did a good job of sitting on the ball and eating clock, but this contest was never seriously in doubt.

"You've got to give them credit," said Du Quoin first-year head coach Derek Beard. "Coach (Jason) Roper, even his teams at Harrisburg did this type of thing. He had a good game plan. Fortunately, our defense stepped up and kept them out of the end zone."

Massac County held the ball for long periods of time. Blake Baird ran up the middle, mostly gaining small yardage, over and over.

After the teams traded turnovers in the second quarter and Massac County had a short field, Nate Jackson rushed for a 4-yard touchdown to pull the Patriots within 7-6. That was probably the most momentum the struggling Massac County program has enjoyed in a few years.

It was gone in less than a minute.

Alex Zimmerman fired a long pass over the middle to Dasani Edward, and he was gone. Du Quoin's most explosive athlete recorded a 73-yard touchdown reception.

It was Zimmerman's first of two touchdown passes. The new Du Quoin quarterback had a solid game overall.

"I think I did all right for this being my first varsity start," Zimmerman said. "We have a lot of things we can work on. There were things we saw at halftime that we can adjust to."

Edward has a habit of making quarterbacks look really good. Just get him the ball and he will do the rest.

"His speed is unteachable, you just can't teach it," Zimmerman said. "We can use that a lot."

It was a 14-6 ballgame at the six-minute mark of the second quarter, and the Patriots proceeded to basically run the clock out until halftime.

Du Quoin had a quick three-and-out to start the third quarter, and Massac County took nearly eight minutes off the clock after that. But the Patriots didn't even come close to scoring, barely making it across midfield.

In the fourth quarter, Konner Harris recovered a fumble for the Indians, which gave Du Quoin a short field. Moments later, Zimmerman tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Braeden Pursell.

That gave Du Quoin a 21-6 advantage, and this game was out of reach for the Patriots. Outside of several offsides penalties on the defense, this was a good first game for Beard as head coach.

"That's just being disciplined, and we talk about it all the time, and there is no excuse for that," Beard said. "But we responded well to adversity, and that's what you have to do to win football games sometimes."

Being handed the keys to the glossy, red sports car of Southern Illinois football has been enjoyable for Zimmerman, who was an All-South baseball selection as a junior.

"This is really an awesome feeling, and there is nothing comparable to it," Zimmerman said. "You walk around town, and everyone is talking to you. You're not even sure who it is sometimes, and it's a great feeling."

The Indians (1-0) hit the road again and travel to Harrisburg (0-1) for their Week 2 game at 7 p.m. Friday.